Oklahoma Drops Murder Charge Against Richard Glossip Before Third Trial

Richard Glossip, a 63-year-old man who has spent nearly three decades on death row for the murder of his boss Barry Van Treese in 1997, agreed to plead guilty to accessory after the fact during a court hearing Thursday. This plea marks the end of Glossip's long legal battle and avoids a third trial.

Glossip was initially convicted and sentenced to death based on testimony from Justin Sneed, who admitted to killing Van Treese but claimed that Glossip had put him up to it. However, Sneed is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the crime. The case against Glossip has faced significant challenges over the years due to concerns about false testimony and prosecutorial misconduct.

During Thursday's hearing before Oklahoma County Court Judge Natalie Mai, Glossip confirmed that he was entering the plea voluntarily without any coercion or duress. No specific questions were asked regarding the details of the murder itself. Under Oklahoma law at the time of the killing, accessory after the fact carries a maximum sentence of 45 years; however, given the extensive period Glossip has already spent in prison and his good behavior credits, he would have been eligible for release as early as 2016.

The decision to drop the murder charge against Glossip comes amid mounting difficulties for prosecutors. Since the original trial in 1998, crucial evidence has either been lost or destroyed, key witnesses have died, and Justin Sneed's reliability as a witness has come into question due to his attempts to recant his testimony multiple times.

In a statement following the hearing, Don Knight, Glossip’s lead attorney, emphasized that his client had maintained his innocence throughout this ordeal. "For 30 years, Richard Glossip has maintained his innocence," Knight said. "After nearly executing him nine times, the State of Oklahoma has now dismissed the murder charge against him."

The case against Glossip took a dramatic turn in 2025 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction, citing false testimony and prosecutorial misconduct as key factors. This ruling paved the way for further legal proceedings but also led to an agreement between Glossip's attorneys and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who initially expressed concerns about the state’s case against Glossip.

Despite these developments, Drummond announced in 2023 that he would re-prosecute Glossip for first-degree murder if a court overturned his conviction. However, as the trial date approached, it became clear that prosecutors were ill-prepared to present their case due to the loss of evidence and unreliable testimony from Sneed.

Glossip's original arrest stemmed from his failure to immediately report information about the killing when he learned of it from Sneed early in the morning after the murder. He later told authorities that his girlfriend had advised him to wait until they understood what happened before contacting the police, leading to a delay in reporting the crime.

This latest development brings closure to one of Oklahoma’s longest-running legal cases and highlights ongoing debates about capital punishment, prosecutorial integrity, and the rights of individuals accused of serious crimes.